postcode lottery

British

noun

a situation in which the standard of medical care, education, etc, received by the public varies from area to area, depending on the funding policies of various health boards, local authorities, etc

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Aylesbury MP Laura Kyrke-Smith, whose close friend took her own life after having a baby, called access a "postcode lottery" with some areas "complete deserts".

From BBC

A Defra spokesperson said it will "end the postcode lottery of bin collection".

From BBC

"That postcode lottery is just so unfair."

From BBC

The number of people having strokes could rise over the next decade if the "postcode lottery" of prevention and care in Wales is not fixed, the Stroke Association has warned.

From BBC

Angela Contestabile, from the Stroke Association, said there was also a "postcode lottery across Wales as to who gets treatment, and who gets it when".

From BBC

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023